Dark Horse
A Dark Horse is a breed of winged horse with a skeletal body, face with reptilian features, and wide, leathery wings that resemble those of a bat. Although their kind can be found all over the solar system, they are very rare, and are considered dangerous by the U.S. Government because of their nature. Dark Horses are, undeservedly, known as Dark creatures due to their somewhat grim, gaunt and ghostly appearance. Biology and appearance Dark Horses have quite a disturbing appearance and sentient beings often only describe these creatures as being sinister and spooky. This is because they are seen as having big, bony figures and their dragon-like faces which bear black eyes that lack both expression and pupils. Additionally, they are lured by the scent of blood. Most of their anatomy is identical to a horse, hence their name, excluding their large wings that sprout from their back. Unlike birds, however, Dark Horses' wings do not possess any feathers at all; they have vast, black and leathery wings that are more similar to those of bats. Their fleshless, lustrous bodies are covered with a translucent and glossy coat. This smooth and dark skin is a bit slippery and so thin that Thestral's bones are clearly defined through the entire extension of their sleek bodies. According to Baby Intelligence, these eerie horses do not seem to have visible hair. Another distinction is their sharp fangs used to seize and slash their prey. The young foals also don't seem to have fangs. Instead they have a pointed beak which they use to grab food and then they swallow it, almost without chewing, much like birds eat worms. Society and culture Behavior Dark Horses appear to be loyal creatures, able to discern a friend from an enemy and offering help to sentients in need of transportation. Dark Horses would forcefully attack anyone or anything they see as a threat and in the unusual case of domesticated Dark Horses, any enemy of its owners. Dark Horses are not marks of the Darkness, nor (their spooky appearance notwithstanding) are they in any way threatening to humans, always allowing for the fright that the first sight of them tends to give the observer. Diet Dark Horses are carnivorous animals and are attracted to the smell of blood. Force Baby deduced that, naturally, they hunt not only for food in the ground, but also to pursue flying prey. Abilities Dark Horses have an extremely durable hide as well as a powerful regenerative healing factor, allowing them to recover from injury much faster than a human. They have an extraordinary sense of smell and will easily recognize the smell of blood and fresh flesh, even if the source of the scent is rather distanced. They also have quite a useful sense of direction. The Dark Horse can understand exactly where their riders need to go. If their riders have a certain destination in mind, they only need to say the destination and the creature will diligently carry them to the intended location. These gentle, winged beasts are very capable and fast fliers and can travel long distances hardly beating their large wings. For example, in 2020, the Dark Horse Flame (ridden by Baby Intelligence and Force Baby) was capable of flying from a rendezvous point (Wyoming) to The Gas Stop (South Dakota) in a brief amount of time. Their powerful wings are capable of lifting, at least, the burden of two humans plus their own weight. Dark Horses in the solar system Dark Horses can be domesticated and mounted. Once trained, they are very diligent and will quickly carry their owners wherever they wish to go. Even with all their useful abilities, Dark Horses are rarely used as methods of transportation due to their reputation as Dark creatures and their somewhat dreadful and even distasteful appearance. Dark Horses were studied in Defense Against Darkness. In order to avoid Karkamel on his way back to the Sanctuary, Baby Intelligence used a particularly swift and loyal Dark Horse named Flame. In record time, Flame reached The Gas Stop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and ironically wound up helping Baby Intelligence and another rider, Force Baby, fight Karkamel. Flame was eventually left in the custody of the Police Grand Army. Behind the scenes According to Owen, the actions of Dark Horses in the past has led to the name of their race being used a term referring is a previously less known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Appearances * * * * * Notes and references Category:Dark Horses Category:Defense Against Darkness Category:Horse subspecies Category:Transportation Category:Worldwide creatures Category:Flying creatures